tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141006100717627099.post7197821284151208994..comments2018-12-22T19:51:00.280+11:00Comments on Multicultural Ministry Matters: The atheist, the bear – and GodKamal Weerakoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08986038926569703410noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141006100717627099.post-23135091641041418242010-05-29T13:41:09.940+10:002010-05-29T13:41:09.940+10:00Oh - so you don&#39;t agree with Dawkins, that any...Oh - so you don&#39;t agree with Dawkins, that any sense of meaning or purpose is an evolutionary misfire? <br /><br />We humans are wired for asking questions about meaning and purpose. It&#39;s not a crutch, it&#39;s a fulfillment of our human nature. One logically consistent answer - Dawkins&#39; - is that this wiring is a &#39;misfire&#39;: something that evolution wired into us, that has no grounding in real reality. I think that view&#39;s tragic - but it&#39;s consistent. <br /><br />Another view is that we&#39;re wired for meaning &amp; purpose because we&#39;re created by a meaningful, purposeful being, who wants us to find meaning and purpose in himself. I put to you that this is also consistent with our observable human nature. <br /><br />Or you could just close your eyes to the question, and refuse to answer it. Not a good use of your sentience, my friend. <br /><br />Actually, you&#39;re a good example of what most people - including &quot;religious&quot; people - do: we enjoy the good things God has given us, and ignore God. At least you have the honesty to say it. Most religious people think they can satisfy God with their religious observances - including going to church. Have a look at Isaiah chapter 1 verses 11-15 to see what God thinks of that. <br /><br />Incidentally, considering sentience - how can you be sure that humanity is the highest level of sentience? Again, it seems logical that we - and the rest of this highly ordered, life-giving universe - was created by a personal, relational being, to whom we are accountable. All faiths agree on that. <br /><br />The next question is: how do we relate to this personal creator? The Biblical, Christian answer is: through Jesus Christ, who is God in human form. Especially through Jesus&#39; death and resurrection, which is God taking into himself the consequences of people stuffing our faces with the good things he gives us while spurning him.Kamal Weerakoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08986038926569703410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141006100717627099.post-12598195934426695212010-05-26T14:44:21.407+10:002010-05-26T14:44:21.407+10:00&#39;so you agree that the atheist&#39;s desire to...&#39;so you agree that the atheist&#39;s desire to stay alive was a meaningless evolutionary misfire? As meaningful as the cockroach/&quot; - not a very clear question or statement Kamal. Atheists desire staying alive because life is wonderful. What evolutionary misfire? Life is meaningful to humans, and elephants, and trees and cockroaches - to various extents dependent on their level of sentience.<br />There are many other faiths who are at least as convinced about their god as you are about yours.<br />I stay alive because I enjoy life, using my physical and mental abilities to enjoy nature. I don&#39;t need a crutch to give me reason.Leroyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238882194681171026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141006100717627099.post-77034369209504604722010-05-26T10:41:25.053+10:002010-05-26T10:41:25.053+10:00Leroy:
&quot;It&#39;s evolution&quot;: so you ag...Leroy: <br /><br />&quot;It&#39;s evolution&quot;: so you agree that the atheist&#39;s desire to stay alive was a meaningless evolutionary misfire? As meaningful as the cockroach?<br /><br />&quot;Whose voice&quot;: why, the God of life - the Triune God of the Bible, who made this world as a place full of life and joy, and who came in the person of his Son, Jesus, to give us eternal life in his death &amp; resurrection. <br /><br />I stay alive because I am confident, not only in the existence of God, but of his goodwill towards me - which I know through Jesus, as proclaimed in the Bible. <br /><br />Why do you bother to stay alive, Leroy?Kamal Weerakoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08986038926569703410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141006100717627099.post-14146537359287348002010-05-24T16:11:58.954+10:002010-05-24T16:11:58.954+10:00&#39;evidence of design and purpose&#39; - where? ...&#39;evidence of design and purpose&#39; - where? what evidence? It&#39;s evolution. <br />&#39;trust what his eyes told him&#39; - yep, nature is wonderful.<br /><br />There are many times, good and bad, when people call out &#39;oh god!&#39; - it&#39;s a cultural thing. <br /><br />Everything froze. Time stopped. A voice boomed from the heavens. Whose voice? Thor? Odin? Krishna? Hathor? FSM?Leroyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238882194681171026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141006100717627099.post-84685453774324362322010-05-24T13:37:33.512+10:002010-05-24T13:37:33.512+10:00that&#39;s great Kamal! I love it.that&#39;s great Kamal! I love it.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05794435530900721785noreply@blogger.com